Lonestar 70.3
Who else is in? I know a couple of people, at least. This is week 8 of the 12 week HIM plan and I have yet to get into the pool...
I won't rock the swim, but, if I get in the water around the first of April, I can at least suffer through it!
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Hey Kristen... I'll be there! I've been doing a real hack on the HIM plan and seem to have lost some momentum from the Dec OS but I'll be there. I'm only starting to swim about now too. Need to get a couple more long bikes and runs in the next couple weeks too! Let's definitely try to meet up... I'm flying in with the family on April 21st and spending a couple days in Houston with family before hitting Galveston.
My friend Esther is donig her first tri, the Lonestar 70.3, so I might be out there as a sherpa. Not my idea to let her do that as her first, but she insisted she'd be alright.
I signed up, I'm with you on swim, just started a couple weeks ago, feelin the crappy stroke. Wanting to do OWS but too friggin cold and wondering why I signed up for such an early HIM. This is my first 70.3, did the 1/4 iron there last year, a great venue. Gettin close.
Let's keep in touch, team. I would love to meet all of you!
The bike is mostly flat, one small ant hill on the way out to the Seawall Blvd, and a longer - yet still relatively short - hill back on the way into T2. The worst enemy on the bike is the wind. You're ON the gulf side of the island, there WILL be winds - one way or the other. I've done the HIM twice, and the "texas two step" (sprint on saturday, 1/4 on Sunday) once, and there's ALWAYS a wind. Accept it, take the EN guidance for pacing, and kill it.
The run last year was shortened with more loops added, due to hurricane damage to the island/area. It's almost completely flat except for some 'humps' over some walkways.
The worst part about the run - being in Galveston - is the heat, sunlight and humidity. Since it's now later in the year than it has been before, expect it to be VERY humid. You're on an island in the Gulf of Mexico in Texas - IT'S HUMID! Expect it too.
Ok, so I just saw that there is going to be a big dinner/wine tasting event at Moody Gardens the night before the half!
How cruel of them to schedule it the one night I can't (or won't) partake!
How is everyone's training going? I have been in the pool exactly 3 times this season, all this week, and it felt way better than expected. I'm ready to crush my RR on Saturday!
Agree with Kristen on the timing of the big party but looking forward to meeting you all down there!
Hi Kristen,
Congratulations on your successful RR! I'm looking forward to meeting you at Lonestar in two weeks.
I also did a RR yesterday and since I'm a total Newb, comparing our data opens up a bunch of questions that I'm hoping the collective wisdom here can help me address.
My last ftp test was 259 and using the HIM TSS target charts, I was aiming for a 3:06 bike (since I don't have any previous experience and figured that was close), yielding a target NP of 197. As you can see from the data below, I did pretty well on that score.
Entire workout (180 watts):
Duration: 3:19:54
Work: 2158 kJ
TSS: 195.6 (intensity factor 0.767)
Norm Power: 199
VI: 1.1
Pw:HR: n/a
Pa:HR: n/a
Distance: 56.025 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 577 180 watts
Cadence: 30 182 78 rpm
Speed: 2.2 38.8 17.0 mph
Pace 1:33 26:49 3:32 min/mi
Crank Torque: 0 687 197 lb-in
The VI is a bit high at 1.1 but I live in Pennsylvania and there are a lot of hills and wind (not to mention some traffic, particularly through some small - and I mean small - towns I ride through. My goal TSS was 179 but I ended up quite a bit higher (195.6).
My biggest question is if hills are primarily to blame for my apparently *very* slow time/pace. I'm a pretty big guy (185 lbs) and don't have the latest and greatest bike but still... I'm pushing decent watts (I think) and seem to be a lot slower. I'm wondering what I can expect for a flatter and windy course like Lonestar.
FWIW, my run got cut short due to family commitments but after about 2 miles, I started feeling a lot better and the cramping in my calves died down. I'll do the full distance today.
Thanks for any insight everyone. And Kristen, let's be sure to meet up in Galveston!
Hi Paul and others,
Paul, I am obviously still figuring out this training and racing with power thing, so I can't give you any advice on that. Good job with you race rehearsal, though, and thank you for the kind words about mine! You know how to run - cutting yours short on the RR is no biggie.
We are so close to the race! I would love to meet some fellow ENers. Y'all please email me sometime before the race so we can plan to meet. I'm not sure if the PMs on this platform are working, so just email me at txvetko@gmail.com .
Let's enjoy our taper!
---Kristen
Paul, Kristin
Enjoying taper week already? I am. Knew to power this year so learning along with everyone. Race Rehersal went OK Saturday in rain, a little peep in big semi @ 220. Just wanting to finish with a smile at my first 70.3. Swim waves are up. I'm in # 11 at 7:50, bib 1038. Gives me some cushion for cutoff. Looks like a star studded cast with McCormick, Cunningham, Brandon Marsh, Andy Potts, and Lieto. I'll be watching them come out of swim and still have plenty of time till my wave start. Kristin will emai you, hope we can all meet.
It should be a fun day - actually it's my first real tri (like Esther) so I'm hoping to finish with a big smile. Biggest question I have though is how long I'll be on the bike. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Let's definitely try to meet up. My direct email is ptakac@mac.com. I'll send a note to Kristen when I arrive in Tx.
Hi Wayne and Paul,
Thanks for alerting me to the swim waves. I'm racer #1372, and my wave goes off at 8:10. Should give me plenty of time to stalk the pros!
Paul, Wayne emailed me with a good idea. There is a mandatory pre-race meeting at 5 pm - would you guys like to meet up sometime before then and then attend together? I'll probably arrive in Galveston around 1 or 2, get my packet, get the bike ready, drop it off, and then be ready for action. Maybe around 4? I'm sure we could find someplace to sit down and relax while we chat. My partner Tabitha will be with me so please, feel free to bring your spouses or family. Also, if you guys are in Houston before the race I would go to lunch or something on Thursday or Friday - let me know!
Other people hate it, but I do love a good taper! Hope you guys are loving it, too!
As for the taper, I'm kinda enjoying it but the last few weeks have been sporadic in terms of workouts so I'm feeling a bit underprepared. Too late to do much about it now though so I'll relax and (try to) enjoy it... :-)
I just got back from a little reconaissance ride out on the Lonestar course. The local tri club was going and I joined in with my sister and my partner.
The course is truly and out-and-back, all on the same road. About the first 40 minutes or so after you get off the seawall is buttery smooth road that they have just re-paved. The rest of the road surface is not bad, for the most part, but that first bit is a real treat. The road crews were out there resurfacing today, so maybe more of the course will be smooth for next week.
The wind is impossible to avoid. Today there was a tailwind heading out and a headwind going back in, but it wasn't too bad. However, the few miles on the return along the seawall were very windy, with the wind blowing from the bay straight across the road. I was holding on to my bike for dear life on the hoods. Personally, I am not going to use my wheelcover, because I'm afraid it would catch too much wind and blow be over. This is a great course for a powermeter athlete, though, so you don't go too hard against the wind.
There isn't much to look at out there, but you can see the bay for much of the ride, and there is one bridge section over the water that is quite pretty. Other than a few little bridges there are no hills.
I hope this helps you guys! Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to answer them.
Paul, (and Wayne, if you are in town), I can probably get away from work for lunch on Friday if you aren't too busy with family. My workplace is in the Greenway Plaza area of Houston, which is 10-15 minutes from Bellaire with good traffic. Let me know what you think!
Have a great weekend!
Paul, if I may chime in...my two cents would be for you to not get your head too wrapped around the bike time. Remember that the end of the bike is not just the end of the bike, it's also the beginning of a half marathon! Many, many people will be out there thinking "it's flat out here, so I can crush the bike and survive the run" - you will be passing those people at mile 10 and 11 when they are walking.
I look forward to reading all of your triumph reports!
Mike
Thanks all for your help and encouragement! Can't wait to see you all soon. Enjoy the taper.
I'll call you if I can get free on Friday for lunch. Would like to do it if possible.
Kristen nice recon report. I have no worries about wheelcover, do not own one - only stock bike/wheels but I do have power this year. I can't make Friday lunch - work day but like the idea of meeting you and Paul around expo Saturday prior to mandatory meeting at 5p. If I register Thursday eve, I'll check out a place to meet. I did an OWS Saturday, very rusty sighting, battleship zag course...a left drifter.
Turns out my sister has decided to race the Lonestar Olympic distance, so I will be around the race venue starting at about 10 am Saturday. Plenty of time to check it all out!
I'm looking forward to meeting you guys!